The purpose of this study is to determine to which extent discourses identified within Swedish religious education also exists within the journal Religion & Livsfrågor [eng: Religion & Life Questions]. To what extent does the journal confirm their existence, are they problematized, and is there any way to avoid them?

Previous research include mainly doctoral theses about discourses within the religious education in Sweden, as well as some research regarding the formation of the academic discipline didactics of religion. This study also relies on one particular study in didactics when choosing the material. The theoretical approach is based on previous research by Karin Kittelmann Flensner. She finds that there exist three discourses within religious education in contemporary Sweden: one secularist discourse, one spiritual discourse and one Swedishness discourse.

A total of 28 numbers of Religion & Livsfrågor has been analyzed by applying the previously mentioned discourses onto the material. Findings indicate that these discourses also exist within the journal. Sometimes the discourses are problematized, but there are seldom any advices on how to avoid them. It also seems that these discourses existed both before and after Kittelmann Flensner’s study, which seem to indicate that the progress made in academic research aren’t always applied in schools. One way to give the teachers the opportunity to avoid these discourses would be to raise awareness regarding them.